The Road to Success
by RayvnAshes2
Summary: Penny decides against running away with Kurt, instead deciding to finish earning her associates degree in Nebraska, though her goal is still to become an actress. When she arrives in Pasadena, CA and meets the boys a few years later, how will her past decisions change things? Smarter, wiser Penny. Eventual Shenny. Rated T. AU, but then, what fanfic isn't? Don't like, don't read.
1. Sound Advice

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Big Bang Theory. I have also not watched the entire series, so I apologize if I get information wrong. If it's something that I can fix without completely ruining the story than I'll be more than happy to correct it.**

 **Summary: Instead of moving to Los Angeles with Kurt at the ripe age of eighteen, Penny is caught by her father, and he gives her advice. Choosing to follow it, she stays in Nebraska and attends college, being exposed to new things and more types of people. How will this difference affect her life when she meets the boys?**

 **Notes: the eventual pairing will be Shenny. I'm not going to bash Leonard (meaning I won't be 'unfair' to him, but I will hold him responsible if he does something reprehensible.) Amy might be in the story, but considering it's a Shenny and she was brought into the group with the intent of becoming Sheldon's girlfriend, I'm not sure how I would introduce her. Even if I don't, rest assured that, even if it isn't shown, she gets a happy ending.**

 **Timeline: this first chapter takes place before the series starts, when Penny is eighteen, the night when she would have left with Kurt. She's just finished a semester at the local community college, so I'll say it's early January, less than a month after her birthday (it's not that odd to turn 18 when you're already in college—I did, and not because I skipped a grade or anything.) Sheldon said she was a dropout, so obviously she'd been enrolled in a college at _some_ point.**

 **Also, yes, I'm going with the ever cliche giving Penny the last name Queen.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

In the outskirts of rural Omaha, Nebraska, a young woman, barely an adult, lay on the hood of a beat-up red car, staring up at the stars and contemplating the future.

She _knew_ that there was something out there, somewhere in the world, just waiting for her. And if she stayed here, then she might never find it.

But was this really the right way to do it?

Running away into the unknown with a boy she'd only been with for a few months?

She wasn't sure.

Yes, she loved Kurt, or at least she thought that she did. To be honest, she wasn't really sure what true romantic love felt like. But she did know that she liked him better than her previous boyfriends.

It hadn't taken much for her to agree to go with him to Los Angeles, her to become an actress and him to be a football player, but when she agreed, she thought they were speaking hypothetically, just messing around.

But no, he was serious.

It was stupid, she knew.

There was nothing at all wrong with having big dreams, or working towards them. But an actress and a famous football player? They were two teenagers from Nebraska who'd never even _been_ to California. How did Kurt expect them to make a life out there?

And it's not like he had proposed to her or anything. He had asked her if she wanted to come, but to be honest he hadn't seemed to care all that much about her answer, which was telling, considering that _he_ hadn't been speaking hypothetically.

So he didn't think that she was essential to his plans or happiness out there.

But she loved him, right?

And he had told her that he loved her, too.

Still, she wasn't entirely convinced.

Sure, he had charmed her. Said all the right things. Made sweet, romantic gestures.

But he had a reputation with women, and Penny's papa hadn't raised a fool.

Speaking of…

"Slugger?" a voice called, and Penny sat up, startled, to see that her dad was on the front porch, making his way towards her car, which was still in the driveway. "What are you doin' awake?"

Penny smiled awkwardly. "Nothing much, daddy. Just looking at the stars."

Wyatt Queen looked up thoughtfully at the sky. "Clear skies."

"Yeah." Penny sighed.

"It'd fit your mood better if the sky was cloudy, wouldn't it?" he mused, not acknowledging the shocked look his daughter gave him.

"Papa—" she started, not knowing what to say.

"Slugger, you're going to get out of here someday." He said, cutting her off as he joined her on the hood of the car, leaning back to stare up at the stars with her. "Somewhere out there, you'll find what you need. But Kurt…"

He left his opinion of the man unsaid. Penny already knew what he thought of the kid.

Penny bit her lip, realizing that her father at least suspected what they were planning. "But if I don't go now, will I ever get another chance?"

Wyatt frowned thoughtfully. "That all depends on you, I think. You'd make it. Sure, you'd have trouble. Everyone does. But you'd get there in the end."

Penny exhaled slowly. "I don't know what to do. I want to go to California, don't get me wrong. I want to make a name for myself. But…I don't think now's the best time."

Her father nodded slowly. "I think you're right. Here, how about I give you reasons that it would be a good idea to stay, and you think of reasons it would be a good idea to go."

The blond eighteen-year-old hummed in agreement.

"If you don't get an acting gig immediately, you're going to need something to fall back on until you do. Or to pay the bills between gigs." He started. "You're already working on it at the community college, and you're grades were pretty damned good, as far as I'm concerned."

Penny smiled slightly.

"And with that train of thought, it would be a good idea to continue your education, even if you stop after getting your associates degree, right?" he waited for her to nod. "So, if you leave now, say you apply to a college in California to keep learning. You wouldn't be considered a resident of California for a year or two, and so you'd have to pay out-of-state tuition. That's hundreds of dollars more per _credit_ , much less all together. So either you pay out of your nose, or you wait until you qualify for in-state tuition, where you'll still need an income in the meantime, and of course getting a job comes easier to people with degrees, these days."

Penny nodded.

"Number two." He took a deep breath. "You'd be livin' out there on your own. Sure, Kurt would be there, but he doesn't know any better than you at this point, and he hasn't been able to hold down a job, so you know you'll end up payin' most of the bills. Now, out here…well, if you wanted to move out, you could rely on me and your Mama if you need help. Or at least until you've got a handle on being independent. Out there, your support system isn't really close enough to help much. Meanwhile, you can get a job and save up for California, or maybe take a few acting lessons and whatnot. Try out for the local theater productions."

"You don't try out, you audition." She corrected automatically.

He smirked at her. "I know. You've just been quiet, and I knew that'd get a reaction."

"Of course I'm quiet; I'm thinking." She said with a huff. "About what you said, and about the pros of going to LA right now…and the only one I can _really_ think of is my feelings for Kurt, and I'm really not even sure about those."

Wyatt raised an arm, tucking his daughter under it in a semi-awkward hug.

"So…" Penny sighed. "What do I tell him?"

He hummed thoughtfully. "Tell him the truth. It's not a good time. Maybe he'll stay, or go without you. If he does go, you could either break up or try the long-distance thing. Either way, if he loves you, he'll wait."

* * *

Penny's last before she fell asleep was her wondering to herself if she had been stalling because she _hoped_ that someone would come out, realize what she was about to do, and ask her to stay.

Oh well. She'd made her bed, and now she had to lie in it.

* * *

The next morning, Penny couldn't even bring herself to be surprised when Kurt broke up with her after she told him that she'd be staying in Nebraska for now.

Strangely enough, she didn't feel the urge to cry like she did with her last breakups.

Her daddy was right.

If he truly cared about her, Kurt would have been willing to try and make it work.

Another place and time, maybe.

For now, she just had to try and become the very best Penny she could be.

Because in two years or so...she would be prepared.

She'd make her dreams come true.

It was only a matter of time.

* * *

 **Please review! :)**

 **I'm already writing chapter two, but I don't know when it's going to be up.**

 **FAIR WARNING: I don't really have a set schedule for updates, so while chapter two is probably going to be up sometime within the next day or so, the following updates will likely be more sporadic. I have a decent amount of stories in progress, so this is not the only story I'll be working on.**

 **This is actually my second attempt at this chapter, and I have to say, I'm more pleased with this one. In the rough draft Kurt agreed to a long-distance relationship, but this way Penny can live her life without having to worry about what he thinks about it.**

 **Also, I'm fully aware that in canon Penny has issues with her dad, who didn't want her to grow up and be feminine, but here they have a better relationship. He's less...sexist? No, I'm not sure that's the right word. He doesn't care as much about gender roles and norms, so he doesn't have an issue with his daughter being awesome at 'boy things' _and_ being feminine.**


	2. What do I do now?

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Big Bang Theory or anything else.**

 **Sorry guys, I made a mistake last chapter, which I fixed. Penny's dad's name is Wyatt.**

 **To the Guest-who-didn't-bother-signing-in-so-that-this-could-be-a-private-conversation, who called everyone who ships Shenny dumb, desperate, and pathetic: get over yourself. This story was clearly marked as Shenny in the summary. It's pretty pathetic to click on a story just to leave hate comments, too. I am well aware that Shenny is not canon. I don't care. That's what fanfiction is** _ **for.**_ **And you've decided that I'm fake and annoying based on what, exactly? My having written a short chapter with content that for the most part just gave information about some of the things people should consider if they want to go to college out of state? Honestly.**

 **(I'm guessing that they're never going to come back to this story to see that, but on the off chance they do...)**

 **And, to the guest who responded to the troll up there, thank you! Your sarcasm was lovely, and I loved the rhyme you put there at the end. I'm tempted to ask if I can borrow that so I can have Howard say it at some point…**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Penny took a slow, deep breath as she set her cell phone down.

A minute and a half.

That had been all it took for Kurt to destroy any future they might have had together.

Well, then. Good thing she hadn't actually gone with him.

It would have been the biggest mistake of her life so far.

Still, he had been her boyfriend for the past few months. She had spent Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years with him. She had wondered if she was _in love_ with him.

Only to find out that, in the end, she was nothing but another notch on his bed post. One that he had been intending to 'keep' for a while, but a conquest nonetheless.

That hurt. A lot.

After hearing the words he had just uttered to her, there was no way in hell Penny could bring herself to shed a single tear over him, but the fact of the matter was that she had gotten used to his presence, and he had been the center of her life.

She had lost touch with her friends from high school which, while admittedly not a big deal considering they'd been the typical popular group, caring more about appearances than each other, meant that she didn't really have any friends to fall back on.

Geez, she'd been shallow.

'Well,' Penny mused with a slight frown. 'There's something I can work on, at least.'

Now to figure out _how_.

* * *

Later that day, Penny sat back in her computer chair with a sigh, wearily taking a sip of coffee as she mentally ran through everything that she had done in the past few hours.

For one thing, she had signed up for acting and dancing lessons at the recreation center. A bit pricey, but a valuable thing for an aspiring actress to have under her belt, and hopefully she'd make a few friends.

Then she had gone over her financial aid. She still had a fair bit of money left over, and though she would receive a check containing the difference a few weeks after she bought her supplies for the new term, she noticed something that she had overlooked before.

There was a total next to the words 'work study,' and she'd been wondering why she hadn't gotten that as well with her financial aid disbursement, before looking it up and realizing why.

Work study was when a student accepted a job at their college, and their pay was taken out of the money designated in their financial aid.

She felt more than a little dumb for not having known about it, but shook her head, realizing that at least she knew about it now, and applied for a few positions.

Within the hour she had received a call from her college's visual arts department, which included theater, for a sort of personal assistant position.

It was odd, but she found herself excited about the possibility.

She would be around people like her, those who appreciated the arts, people who, in her experience, were usually quirky and unique and _accepting…_

For a former head cheerleader and prom queen who had despaired during her high school years because she had wanted to actually be able to connect people without being judged and having to worry about sabotage or backstabbing…well, the prospect of having friends who she shared interests with her was a very appealing one.

Anyway.

After taking care of that and even applying for a few non-college affiliated jobs in the area, Penny checked her savings account, which contained all of her birthday and Christmas money for the past ten years, as well as all of her allowance for that time. And the money she had made working at the Cheesecake Factory in high school.

God, that job had...not been fun.

She didn't appreciate being groped, and had been fired for snarling at a man that she was underage and would have her daddy sue him for sexual harassment and pedophilia.

Wait, was pedophilia something you could sue for? No, he'd probably have gone to jail.

Maybe she should look that up at some point.

Anyway, the point is that Penny had some money saved up for her dream wedding, or more accurately, she had been saving for a wedding on the off chance that she ever _did_ end up fantasizing about a dream wedding like her friends had. As odd as it was coming from someone who dreamed of being on the big screen, a big production for a wedding just wasn't something she liked the idea of.

But she was eighteen. She had no plans to get married anytime soon.

And so she would use that money to get an apartment.

She would be okay for a while, but she should probably find another source of income.

Hm…this required some thought.

* * *

Penny did end up moving into her own apartment, a tiny one-bedroom place with a shower instead of a tub, no washer and dryer units, and no dishwasher.

She quickly learned to conserve water and electricity, and pile on blankets and layers instead of turning on the heater too high, because those bills got really expensive, though her dad assured her that the prices for the heating would drop once it started getting warmer.

'Of course they will,' she had thought with a huff. 'No one needs a heater during late spring and summer!'

She dreaded what her air conditioning was going to end up costing her.

Anyway, being independent was more work than she had expected.

She had to pay all of the bills. Not that that surprised her, but sorting it all out was a pain.

She did her laundry at her parents' house for a while, until her dad hesitantly mentioned that she wouldn't be able to rely on them forever, and she went to a laundromat from then on.

She had to keep her car in good condition, otherwise it would fail her when she needed it the most. Tires, breaks, steering fluid, change the oil…ugh.

And gas was more expensive than she remembered.

Or was that because back when she started driving she'd _only_ had to pay for gas, and her parents had taken care of almost everything else?

Either way, she ended up going to places on foot more and more often, at least as it started getting warmer. If nothing else, combined with her workouts it was helping her keep in shape, and she had a feeling she wouldn't need to sunbathe during the summer if she kept going outside so often.

Then there was the food.

She didn't want to live on takeaway, but she didn't have much choice. Most of the cheap things she could get at the market were frozen foods, which while she had no problem with the taste, weren't exactly a healthy choice, and she knew that she needed to keep healthy if she wanted to be a successful actress.

No using meth like her idiot older brother.

Anyway, the point is that she needed to learn how to cook. So she did, asking her family members for advice, buying a few cookbooks, and even taking a cooking class at the recreation center.

She could've taken a similar class at her school, but that would've been more expensive, and she didn't need the credits.

So she learned a few dozen meals that weren't beyond her abilities, but another problem that came up was that many of them required this spice or some sauce, and not only did that add up quickly, but some of them were ingredients that she would never even use again if she didn't like the dish.

A kitchen stocked with what her teacher had called 'the essentials' was expensive to anyone, much less a college student.

But she managed.

Buying things shortly before the sell-by date, when they'd still be good for a while longer but the price had been lowered, asking friends and family if they had any ingredients (or recipes, while they were at it) that they weren't going to be using again, etcetera.

And a positive side-effect of eating healthy was that her skin was starting to clear up.

Awesome.

* * *

 **Please review! :)**


	3. Penny Blossoms

**Disclaimer: I don't own Big Bang Theory.**

 **Guest: I'm sorry, I have a hard time taking you seriously. A 'lousey sheeeny' story? And fans of the pairing are sheenies? Your spelling and grammar skills are rather impressive; I'm a little intimidated. I wonder, would you categorize this story as 'lousey' and sucky if I hadn't already said that it would eventually become a Shenny (see,** _ **this**_ **is the proper spelling) story? He isn't even in the story yet. And I wouldn't really consider Penny out of character either, at this point. Canon Penny is a few years older, had been living in California and been cheated on by a deadbeat boyfriend who she'd been with for at least three years, was working at a dead end job she hated, and had three years of failing at her dream under her belt. Circumstances tend to change people. How do you know that my version of Penny is OOC if no one really knows very much about how she was when she was younger other than that she was a daddy's girl at one point, was popular, and unknowingly bullied a few people, which she was later mature enough to recognize and regret?**

 **Also, if you hate the pairing and story so much, why say 'Ta Ta for now?' Do you have nothing better to do than flame a story that you hate the mere idea of? What, are you insecure that the Shenny fans will overtake the Lenny ones, if they haven't already? Or are you compensating for something?**

 **Either way, feel free to continue, though I'd recommend signing in so that we can do this over private messaging. Please note that I could delete your comments any time I want. I just haven't bothered, because I'm hardly going to be hurt or offended because of reviews that only insult my story because of the pairing involved.**

 **Anyway, to everybody else, enjoy!**

* * *

A few shorts months before graduation, before the big move to California she had been planning for years, Penny found herself sitting at her dining room table trying to get through her taxes for the year.

It hadn't been all that bad her first year filing, but then it got more complicated…

Not only had she needed to figure out how to account for the few voice acting jobs she'd gotten (for the local radio station) and the short modeling job that she'd had, but she also had to file taxes for Penny Blossoms, the business she'd started up.

She hadn't realized that a small business like hers would count until one of her friends, who was going to school to become an accountant, had told her that it did.

Ugh.

She should've asked for her help.

As it was, she was going over her paperwork, and was utterly shocked to see how much money she had actually made from the hobby she had apparently made into a successful business venture.

Well. Apparently she had been smart to choose business as one of her majors.

See, the whole thing had started out like this…

* * *

Penny had found herself without a job during the summer semester, even though she was still taking a few classes then in order to graduate on time, because her financial aid for the new year wouldn't go through until later, so they couldn't pay her.

So Penny was looking for a new job, since she still needed to pay her bills, until one day when she had worn an old flower barrette of hers to her acting class, and then out at the grocery store when she was picking up food for the week.

She had received quite a few compliments throughout the day, and when she explained that she had made it a few years prior, one of her friends had mentioned that she could probably make some money from it, considering how many people had asked her where she had gotten it.

Of course, the young blonde didn't really pay attention at first, thinking that her friend's musings were a little unrealistic (it was just a fabric flower glued to a bobby pin,) but after being asked to make some for both her friends and other women in her class, and even a few males hoping to give them to someone as a gift, she wasn't so sure.

And so, in the end, she did start making them.

She decided to buy the materials in bulk, which made them cheaper, and quietly asked one of her other friends what she thought would be a reasonable price to charge people for them.

(He was male, and not one of the guys asking after them for their girlfriends, so she trusted him not to lead her astray and be unbiased about it.)

He had also helped her set up a website for her business, which of course she named _Penny Blossoms._

So Penny used her own newly acquired knowledge in business in order to work out how much money she would need, how much she would profit (which of course depended on what she charged…), and give out handwritten receipts because it seemed like a good idea.

And by the end of the month she found herself making dozens a week, because _of course_ some of the women needed more than one so they would match their clothing.

She also expanded into making hair bows, bow _ties_ , and headbands.

When the fall semester started up again, she was still making them, now accepting requests for specific color schemes and designs with things like glitter, lace, and rhinestones.

And then there were the holidays.

Halloween. Christmas. Valentine's Day. St. Patrick's Day. Mardi Gras. Fourth of July.

Students from the nearby high schools actually _came to her_ and asked her if she could make corsages for the girls to wear on their wrists for dances, or lapels for the boys to wear on their suits or tuxedos.

One of her classmates even asked her for her input on the design of her bouquet, and bought a few things from Penny as favors for her bridal shower and bachelorette party, and the wedding party all wore either a lapel or one of her more elegant hair accessories.

It had blown up so suddenly that Penny was quickly overwhelmed, since she still had classes both at the college and the recreation center, but she managed to fill the orders by asking her friends and even a few neighbors to help her make them, which she of course paid them for.

*sigh*

At least her website didn't have something stupid like an option for a rush order.

She couldn't even imagine.

* * *

So she ended up making more money from her Penny Blossoms business than she had for her part-time job at the college, which paid her $9/hour.

Penny bit her lip as she looked over the numbers.

Don't get her wrong, she was thrilled. She had more money saved up than she had thought, and she was therefore more prepared to move to California, with its higher cost of living, than she would have been otherwise.

But what was she going to do with the business when she moved?

Abandon the thing she'd been pouring her heart and soul (and blood and sweat and tears) into for over a year now, one which had turned out to be well worth her time?

Continue doing it in California? But she was only able to make it work because she had her friends helping her.

She let out a slight whine, head falling onto the table.

Great.

More decisions.

Still, she didn't regret staying in Omaha. At all.

She had friends, real, _honest to god_ friends for the first time in far too long, ones that cared about her, Penny, not the cheerleader and popular girl from high school.

They didn't care that she was less than perfect.

Not that she didn't try to be, but she knew that it was just not possible.

Still, wasn't there an old saying about that?

 _Reach for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars._

She'd programmed her cell phone to make so that every morning when the alarm in it woke her up, the first thing she saw would be that saying.

It hardly ever failed to put a smile on her face.

* * *

 **Please review! :)**


	4. Graduation and Hesitation

**Disclaimer: I don't own Big Bang Theory!**

 **Warnings: eventual Shenny, language, etcetera**

 **To the hater-who-calls-Shenny-shippers-sheenies: Well** _ **obviously**_ **Shenny is fictional and not canon. You do realize that the word 'fiction' is in the name of this website, don't you? Yeah, remember what I said about you apparently having no life? You know I'm aware that as a guest you can't get e-mail updates to tell you when I update, so you have to frequently come back to this story to check so you can leave more idiotic, vulgar, and repetitive reviews, right? And since I know that, it just makes you seem even more pathetic. Your comments just really aren't worth the time it takes to respond. Goodbye.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

On the evening of May 5th, 2006, one Penelope Queen walked up to the stage as her name was called, accepting her diploma (or more accurately the blank sheet of paper in the 'frame,' as the real one would be mailed later on) and shaking hands with some of the school faculty as she posed for a photo with a beaming smile.

After all her self-doubt, all of the difficult decisions she'd had to make these past years, all of her hard work earning two associates degrees instead of one (the summer classes had been especially harrowing, since she was used to spending that time with her friends), she had done it.

Penny had graduated with a solid 3.25 GPA, which was better than she'd done in high school. She had had a job that she enjoyed with the college, though she couldn't return even if she wanted to as the position was only available to students. She was succeeding with her Penny Blossoms business, had made friends, had gotten a bit of experience with the local theater troupe…

And now, looking at her friends cheering for her, her parents' beaming faces from their place in the stands (she was the only one of their kids to go to college and not drop out…)

For the first time, she wondered if she should follow through on her plans and go to California.

* * *

"Slugger!" Penny was brought out of her musings as her dad came up to her after the ceremony had ended, gathering her in a hug. "Congratulations! I'm so proud of you…"

"Thanks, daddy." She whispered, happy tears streaming down her face as she hugged him back tightly. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"Yes you could've." He said with certainty.

Penny chuckled. "Okay, I _wouldn't_ have."

He scoffed slightly but let it go. "So, Miss Penelope Queen. What do you want to do now that you're a college graduate?"

The pair started walking towards his car, and then they'd be off to a celebratory dinner.

"Ooh, can I go to Disneyland?!" Penny gasped dramatically, pretty green eyes wide in awe.

Wyatt barked out a laugh. "Actually…that can be arranged."

Penny's eyes widened, and she whirled around to face him. "Wait, what? I was joking…"

"Half-joking." He corrected. "You've always wanted to go to Disney. Well, your mother and I set aside some money from our tax returns this year, so I was thinking that the two of us could go. You'll be moving out there anyway, right?"

"Yes." She said. Not quite as firmly as she had hoped, which Wyatt noticed.

His brows furrowed in concern.

It had _always_ been Penny's dream to go to California, even before she wanted to become an actress.

Was his Slugger losing faith in that dream?

Well. She had told him that night when she almost ran away with Kurt (the bastard) that she was worried that if she didn't leave then, that she wouldn't ever escape Omaha, but he hadn't considered that it might be her own lack of confidence (or at least he thought that was the reason) that made her stay.

Oh, don't get him wrong, he wanted his baby girl to stay. But he wasn't about to get in his daughter's way. She deserved to be able to go after her dream.

And it was his job to make sure that she knew that.

But now was a time for celebration. They could have that particular conversation later.

"We'll have to make sure to get you an ear hat." He told her as he guided her out of the building and out to where he'd parked the car.

Penny laughed. "Only if you get one, too."

Wyatt smiled at her.

* * *

 **Please review! :)**

 **I know, this chapter is short. Wasn't sure what else to add to it.**


End file.
